o fficeo



(No Model.)

L. FREYRE.

GAS CHECK FOB. BREEOH LOADING ORDNANG'E. N0. 270,299. Patented Jan. 9,1883.

ans. Phomum n vm Maw 11 a UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

LUIS FBEYRE, or SEVILLE, SPAlN.

GAS-CHECK FOR BREECH-LOADlNG ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 270,299, dated January 9, 1883.

Application filed May 22, 188:2. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUIS FREYRE,asubject ot' the King of Spain, residing at Seville, in the Kingdom of Spain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Checks for Breech-Loading Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an ordnance gascheck which, conical in its interior, is expanded by means of a conical-headed bolt entering therein; and the objects of my improvements are to provide means for automatically forcing the conical head of the belt out of the ring after a discharge ofjthe gun, allowing said ring to contract, and thus facilitate the removal of the breech-block from the gun. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figurel is a longitudinal section of a breechblock carrying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line a: a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the ring-expanding bolthead.

in the drawings, A represents the plug of the breech-block. It is in this case secured to a plate, A, provided with a hinge, a, by which it may be retained connected with the breech of a gun.

Within the cavity of the plug A is placed a bolt, B, having a collar, B, nearly fitting within the outer end of this cavity, and a head, B

in the form of a truncated oone,having its rear or smallest surface adjoining its collar B. in the rear of this collar is placed upon the body B of the bolt a coiled spring, (J, having one end bearing against the bottom of the cavity in the plug A and the other against the collar of the bolt to force the head of the latter from the front face of the plug. The boltA is retained connected to the plug by means of a nut, D, screwed in such a position upon the end of the bolt as to allow it to move forward a short distance under the impulse of its spring 0. The nut D is provided with set-screws d, having their point engaging with the surface of the bolt B to retain it immovably after it has been adjusted thereon.

The bolt B is bored centrally at b for the passage of the tiringpin. (Not shown.)

A ring, E, of steel or other suitable metal, is fitted to the truncated portion 13 ot' the head of the bolt B, and rests against the front end of the plug A; but in its normal position the under side of the head B isnot in contact with the end of the plug A, but is retained at a short distance therefrom by the strong coiled spring 0. hen the explosion due to thedis charge of the gun takes place, the gases, acting directly on the surface of the head B force said head until iteomes in contact. with the end of the breechplug, and in so doing the gas-check ring E is expanded uniformly until every point in its outer periphery is pressed against the bore of the gun to close it hermetically. After the shot has been tired, the spiral spring 0, which had been compressed by the force of the explosion, expands again and returns the bolt and its head 13* to its original position, so that the ring E is allowed to contract to its original size and position.

As the play of the bolt is limited, the force brought to bear upon the ring E is always the same, no matter it the charge belightor heavy, and it is plain to be seen that the degree of expansion of the said ring may he nicely graduated by means of the nut D and its set-screws.

Having now fully described my in vention I claim- 1. The combination of a breech-plug bored centrally the whole length thereof with a bolt passing through said breech-plug and having its head in the form of a truncated cone, and a ring fitted to said head, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a hollowbrcech-plug, a spring, 0, within said plug, and a bolt, B, passing tl'ierethrough and having a nut upon its rear end, and a conical head, 15 with a gascheck ring, E,'substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LUIS FREYRE. Witnesses DAVID B. PARSONS, DWlGHCL T. REED. 

